The Vickers PVM Series is a medium-to-high pressure, high-reliability axial piston variable displacement pump developed by Vickers (a renowned brand under Eaton Corporation) for general industrial and mobile hydraulic systems. It is specially designed to provide stable performance, flexible flow control, and cost-effective solutions for medium-pressure, medium-power application scenarios, integrating mature hydraulic technology and compact structural design to meet the practical needs of various conventional heavy-duty working conditions.

1. Model Overview

The PVM Series is a cost-effective axial piston variable displacement pump featuring a swashplate structure, which serves as the core component for stepless displacement adjustment. It is available in multiple frame sizes (including PVM018, PVM028, PVM045, PVM057, PVM074, etc.) with displacement ranges typically from 18 cc/rev to 100 cc/rev, catering to medium-pressure hydraulic systems with small to medium flow demands. Its variable displacement design allows the output flow to be flexibly adjusted according to real-time system requirements, achieving balanced energy utilization and operational stability.

2. Structural Features

• Medium-High Pressure Axial Piston Design: The pump is equipped with high-precision axial pistons evenly arranged around the cylinder block. Driven by the rotation of the swashplate, the pistons perform stable reciprocating motions along the cylinder block axis to complete the suction and discharge of hydraulic oil. This optimized design ensures high volumetric efficiency (up to 96% under rated conditions) and a compact structure, making it suitable for installation in limited space of various equipment.
• Flexible Variable Displacement Mechanism: Displacement adjustment is realized by changing the swashplate angle, which can be controlled manually, hydraulically, or electro-hydraulically (optional for most models). It supports pressure compensation and flow compensation control (standard configuration), enabling the pump to automatically adjust displacement based on system pressure and flow demands, thereby reducing energy loss and maintaining stable system operation.
• Durable Robust Construction: The cylinder block, pistons, and swashplate are fabricated from high-strength alloy steel, underwent precision machining, heat treatment, and surface hardening processes, ensuring superior wear resistance, corrosion resistance, and medium-high pressure bearing capacity. The pump housing is made of high-quality cast iron with optimized structural design, providing good rigidity and shock absorption to adapt to common harsh working environments.
• Integrated Practical Valve Group: All models come standard with integrated pressure relief valves and check valves, reducing the need for additional hydraulic components and simplifying system layout. Optional configurations include flow control valves, electro-proportional control valves, and anti-cavitation valves, which can be customized to meet the specific requirements of different application scenarios.

3. Working Principle

When the pump’s drive shaft is connected to a prime mover (such as an electric motor or engine) and starts rotating, the cylinder block rotates synchronously with the drive shaft. Under the combined action of centrifugal force and the spring force of the return plate, the pistons are tightly attached to the surface of the swashplate. Due to the inclined angle of the swashplate, the pistons reciprocate linearly in the cylinder bores during the rotation of the cylinder block, completing the cyclic process of oil suction and discharge.

During the half-cycle where the piston moves outward (away from the center of the cylinder block), the volume of the cylinder bore increases, forming a negative pressure, and hydraulic oil is sucked into the cylinder bore through the suction port. During the other half-cycle where the piston moves inward (towards the center of the cylinder block), the volume of the cylinder bore decreases, the hydraulic oil is compressed to medium-high pressure, and then discharged from the discharge port. By adjusting the angle of the swashplate, the stroke of the pistons can be changed, thereby altering the pump’s displacement and realizing stepless adjustment of output flow.

4. Performance Advantages

• Excellent Medium-High Pressure Performance: The PVM Series is designed for medium-high pressure operation, with a rated working pressure of up to 35 MPa and a maximum intermittent pressure of 42 MPa (depending on the model), which is suitable for most conventional medium-pressure hydraulic systems and balances performance and cost.
• High Efficiency and Energy Saving: The optimized hydraulic circuit design, precision-machined components, and mature variable control mechanism ensure high volumetric efficiency and mechanical efficiency, effectively reducing energy loss and improving the overall energy utilization rate of the hydraulic system.
• Stable and Quiet Operation: The swashplate adopts a hydraulic balance design, and the precision dynamic balance treatment of the rotating components minimizes vibration and noise during operation, ensuring smooth and reliable performance even under normal high-speed and medium-high pressure working conditions.
• Long Service Life and Strong Reliability: The adoption of high-quality materials, mature manufacturing processes, and effective lubrication and cooling systems significantly extends the service life of the pump. The modular design of key components also enhances the pump’s reliability and reduces the risk of failure, lowering maintenance costs.
• Easy Maintenance and Wide Adaptability: The pump adopts a modular structure, which is convenient for disassembly, inspection, and maintenance. Wear parts (such as pistons, seals, and bearings) are standardized and easy to replace, reducing downtime. It also has strong anti-pollution capacity and can adapt to common harsh working environments such as high temperature and high humidity.

5. Application Fields

The Vickers PVM Series axial piston variable displacement pump is widely used in medium-pressure, medium-power hydraulic systems in various industries, including but not limited to:

• Industrial machinery: General injection molding machines, extruders, medium-duty presses, ordinary machine tools, and standard hydraulic stations.
• Mobile equipment: Medium-sized construction machinery (small excavators, loaders, forklifts), agricultural machinery, and light mining machinery.
• Other fields: General marine hydraulic systems, ordinary engineering equipment, metallurgical auxiliary equipment, and light oilfield machinery.

6. Installation and Maintenance Notes

• The pump should be installed on a solid, flat, and vibration-damping base to avoid vibration interference. The drive shaft must be accurately aligned with the prime mover’s shaft to prevent misalignment, which may cause bearing damage and oil leakage.
• Use clean hydraulic oil that meets the specified grade (recommended ISO VG 46 or VG 68), and ensure the hydraulic system is equipped with a high-precision filter (filtration accuracy ≤ 10 μm) to prevent impurities from entering the pump and damaging precision components.
• During operation, regularly check the oil level, oil temperature (normal working temperature: 40℃ – 80℃), and operating noise. If abnormal phenomena such as oil leakage, excessive noise, overheating, or pressure fluctuation occur, stop the machine immediately for inspection and troubleshooting.
• Perform regular maintenance in accordance with the operating manual, including replacing hydraulic oil (every 2000 – 4000 working hours), cleaning the filter, inspecting the wear of key components (pistons, swashplate, seals, etc.), and tightening loose fasteners.

With its excellent medium-high pressure performance, high efficiency, reliability, cost-effectiveness, and wide adaptability, the Vickers PVM Series axial piston variable displacement pump has become the preferred choice for hydraulic system designers and users in medium-pressure, conventional heavy-duty application fields.